I turned another year older early this year. The things that I thought older people were exaggerating about are things that I am now starting to feel. My eyesight, particularly when it comes to reading, has gone bad. I cannot read anything well without my reading glasses. Most other times that I am reading something without them I am just trying to guess what the words are. My body has been having all sorts of aches and pains that I have never had before. It has been so bad that I decided to try something different: an acupressure mat.
 |
| Image by WhisperingJane_ASMR from Pixabay |
Social media has bombarded me with ads on acupressure mats since I started complaining about my aches and pains. I agree with people that these apps on my phone are somehow listening to the things that I need. I have not even searched about it and yet it pops up on my ads! While the most popular mat would have to be the shakti mat, I decided to buy a cheaper version that I found online that consisted of a mat and a pillow for my neck and head.
According to the websites that I have been through, acupressure is a good way to relieve pain. It helps with blood flow/circulation and helps the user to relax their muscles. According to some sites, it helps to release endorphins that make people feel better and the acupressure also helps to lower blood pressure. Some have credited acupressure with helping people to sleep better, better digestion, and relief from headaches/migraines.
I am aware that some people are hesitant about using the mat because they worry that the spikes would puncture their skin, but they do not. Take it from someone like me who is overweight and puts a lot of pressure on that mat when I lie on it.
The mat that I bought uses plastic spikes for acupressure, but I have heard that there are mats that use other materials. I think it is safer to use plastic though since metals might pierce your skin. The first time that I tried it, the mat did give me a bit of relief, but I felt that it was not enough. I read that it would be better to try it directly on your skin (I was wearing a shirt the first time) so I decided to try it that way. I must agree that it does work better that way!
Using the mat for 10-20 minutes on my back has been very relaxing. I also use it on my stomach because they said that it helps with digestion. The pillow is also good, particularly for your neck. As someone who strains from looking down a lot on my phone, it felt like a massage on my neck when I used it.
One thing that I read about and tried but have not been able to pull off just yet is using the mat with my feet. I tried stepping on the mat, but it was so painful! Some people have used it for five minutes at a time, but I cannot even last a minute on it! I’ve heard that the feet are somehow connected to other parts of the body, so acupressure on them treats the symptoms from other body parts…does that mean that I have a lot of body parts that need help if I feel so much pain standing on the acupressure mat?
As satisfied as I am with the acupressure mat that I have, I am looking for other brands that I can use. I have read that there are some mats with more spikes compared to mine, so that might be an even better experience for me.
Has anyone else tried an acupressure mat? Do you have any tips about where I could buy a good one?
No comments
Post a Comment